We all love our smart phones, don't we? It is almost a permanent fixture in most hands. We have to check messages, constantly chat with old friends and keep checking emails. So what happens when the screen of this beloved gets cracked? The crack hurts our hearts and we feel "heartbroken" for a while. But; is it worth replacing the screen?
Let me narrate a story. My friend (let us just call him Adam) tripped while jogging the other day. He had a few scratches on his palm and hurt his knee pretty badly. During this accident, another thing got hurt - his latest pretty smart phone. Adam told me that the screen of his phone cracked but the phone is fully functional. Adam could not resist and called the phone company. It will cost him Rs.7000 to replace the screen. This deal pretty much replaces everything in the exterior and preserves his interior which is tempting since it gives him a "new looking" phone.
Should Adam replace the screen of his smart phone?
My vote is no. Here are the reasons:
1. Yes, replacing the screen will give him a brand new phone feeling but the phone is functioning well and does not need a pretty exterior.
2. This money will be spent only to make the exterior nice and has no functional value.
3. After I had a look at Adam's screen, I realized that the screen has not cracked. It merely has a few scratches which are visible only when you reflect light off the phone. Adam disagrees and insists that the screen is cracked and these are not mere scratches.
4. This money could be saved or even better invested somewhere.
5. One can drop a phone again even after getting the screen replaced. There are no guarantees.
6. A phone is not an asset. It is not a plot of land, piece of gold or equity that will appreciate in value. It merely depreciates and thus spending on it is not a wise financial decision.
Adam says he agrees with me and will not replace the screen but I would like to see if he gives in to temptation.
What would you do in a similar situation? If your smart phone screen cracked but was still working well, would you spend a similar amount to get a shiny screen?
Let me narrate a story. My friend (let us just call him Adam) tripped while jogging the other day. He had a few scratches on his palm and hurt his knee pretty badly. During this accident, another thing got hurt - his latest pretty smart phone. Adam told me that the screen of his phone cracked but the phone is fully functional. Adam could not resist and called the phone company. It will cost him Rs.7000 to replace the screen. This deal pretty much replaces everything in the exterior and preserves his interior which is tempting since it gives him a "new looking" phone.
Should Adam replace the screen of his smart phone?
My vote is no. Here are the reasons:
1. Yes, replacing the screen will give him a brand new phone feeling but the phone is functioning well and does not need a pretty exterior.
2. This money will be spent only to make the exterior nice and has no functional value.
3. After I had a look at Adam's screen, I realized that the screen has not cracked. It merely has a few scratches which are visible only when you reflect light off the phone. Adam disagrees and insists that the screen is cracked and these are not mere scratches.
4. This money could be saved or even better invested somewhere.
5. One can drop a phone again even after getting the screen replaced. There are no guarantees.
6. A phone is not an asset. It is not a plot of land, piece of gold or equity that will appreciate in value. It merely depreciates and thus spending on it is not a wise financial decision.
Adam says he agrees with me and will not replace the screen but I would like to see if he gives in to temptation.
What would you do in a similar situation? If your smart phone screen cracked but was still working well, would you spend a similar amount to get a shiny screen?
No comments:
Post a Comment